Amumu's Story
by Kanagawa
Summary: Amumu's past is a mystery to all, including him. What was his life like before he was the misunderstood mummy we all know? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Amumu's story

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own League of Legends or these characters in any way, shape, or form. I have NOTHING to do with the game. This is just for fun and should not be associated with any company that could sue me.

The pharaoh's son sat on his golden throne. This was his favorite place to be because it was outside on a balcony. He stared off into the desert that lay before him. He wondered what it would be like to walk the on the sand, for he had never been out of the palace. He sighed. He was lonely.

He decided he would go for a walk. The sun was still in the sky and he was tired of shielding his eyes from its glare. He stood up and headed inside.

He removed his sandals. The floor felt cold under his feet. He picked them up and started toward his room. As he reached the stairs, his father called for him.

Zuberi was a strong, wise old man. His skin was lightly tanned and his head was shaved clean. He wore a long tan tunic lined with gold, and a gold cloth tied about his waist. He was adorned with many gold necklaces and bracelets. His eyes were a smoky green that seemed mysterious to all who had seen them. There were only two beings known to have eyes like these: the pharaoh and his son.

"Amumu," he smiled at his son, "where are you going, son?"

"To my room, pharaoh." He said with a small bow. He had always been taught to do this to show respect for his father, but he knew his father didn't mind if he didn't bow or called him pharaoh. He had told his son that he could call him 'father'. Still, he followed the traditions he knew were important to his family.

"Well hurry along," pharaoh said, "we have business to attend to today."

"Okay" Amumu sighed. The pharaoh frowned. He knew his son was often sad, but not usually when talking with him. Amumu was generally alright around his father. "May I go now, pharaoh?"

The pharaoh wanted to say more, but he decided against it. "Yes, Amumu. You may. I'll expect you in the main hall soon."

"Okay" He sighed again. He seemed to do this quite often. With that, the pharaoh headed out.

Amumu continued to his room. He brushed the tapestry covering his doorway aside and let it fall behind him, hiding him from the world. He crossed to his mirror and stared at his reflection. This was becoming one of his most frequent past times.

He looked himself up and down. He was a short, thin boy of eight. He wore a white tunic that fell just above his boney knees with a gold belt. His skin was so much tanner than the rest of his family that his sister often teased him about it. His skinny arms were decorated with gold bangles, four on his right hand and six on his left. His black wig had high bangs on it and a golden ring was fitted around his head to hold it in place. The hair fell just above his neck, leaving it open to the sun and breezes that would come and go.

He also wore a small gold ring on the middle finger of his right hand. The ring was made of soft gold leaves and was very delicate. It was his most precious possession. Because of this ring, Amumu always had a pale spot on his dark finger.

There was a reason why he had such dark skin. Amumu spent a lot of his time walking on the outer balconies and terraces on the palace grounds. He liked the sunlight. He liked feeling the heat on his face, and his skin was often burned because he didn't want to go inside when the days were hot.

"You keep sitting out here on days like this," his sister, Masika, would call from the shade, "And you wont have any skin left!"

Masika was only six, but, according to their mother, Safiya, she was a smart girl. She was also the only other child in the palace. She and Amumu sometimes played together, but it was difficult for the two to agree on games to play.

Masika liked to go down into the dark halls were the ancestors had their lives carved into the walls and look at all the pictures that were there. Amumu, however, hated the dark. He preferred to sit in the atrium and play in the garden.

It seemed that the only thing they both liked to do was a game they made up, called 'cloth toss'. They would gather up all the cloth they could find, divide it up, draw a line on the floor and try to hit each other with the rags. Amumu had always had better aim though.

Amumu turned the ring on his finger, a nervous habit that he had had since he got the ring from his mother.

"_It__ was __my __father__'__s__ when__ he__ was __a __boy,__" _she had told him,_ "__keep __it__ safe, __my__ son,__ and__ the __gods __will __always __protect __you.__"_

He decided that he should hurry. It wasn't good to make the pharaoh wait. He put on his gold beard and sandals and headed down to the hall. He knew that the palace soldiers didn't like it when he ran, but he was under orders. He swung around a post to help him with a sharp corner and ran smack into his sister coming out of the hall that led to her room. The two collided and fell to the floor.

Amumu rubbed his head and let out a long agony filled groan. He sounded almost like a ghost. Masika shook her head and tried to focus. The children looked at each other for a moment before remembering they were in a hurry. Masika got up first and started running again. Amumu followed.

"Hey!" he called after her, "Come back!"

She giggled back at him. "I'm faster than you, big brother!" Amumu put on an extra burst of speed and caught up to her. She shot him a quick look of surprise before getting a determined look on her face and pulling slightly a head of him. He smiled at her and giggled with her.

The impromptu race took them down the stairs, through the guard's chambers, through the gardens, and finally ending in the main hall. The two stopped at the doorway.

The two giggled some more as they gasped to catch their breath. Masika grinned at her brother.

"Ha! I win." she said, puffing out her chest.

"Yeah," Amumu smiled at her, "you sure do." Although he was almost sure that he had pulled ahead of her at the last minute. He clapped her on the shoulder and together they walked into the hall.

The hall was lined with wealthy people. Some Amumu knew, most he didn't recognize. He saw Omari, another boy close to his age. The two hardly got to see one another, but his father, Mahad, often helped the pharaoh with difficult decisions, and he sometimes brought Omari to play with Amumu and Masika.

Amumu waved to him and he waved back with a big smile. His sister grabbed his hand.

"I'm frightened, brother." She said, a little shaken. This was her first time in the main hall when the people had been called in. When she was here before, it was empty.

He gave her hand a small squeeze. "Don't be, little sister. This is what we have to do." He smiled at her. "Besides, we have to go see mommy and the pharaoh. They're over there, see?"

She turned her attention to the front of the room. The hall led down to a high flight of stairs. The stairs went up to two golden thrones on an overseeing platform. There, in those beautiful golden chairs, regally sat their parents. Both were smiling at their children as they stood at the head of the room.

Still holding hands, the children walked down the hall. All the people bowed their heads slightly as they passed them by. Amumu had taken this walk a few times before, but it was still frightening. Masika, however, was terrified. She kept her eyes forward and her hand in her brother's. Although, she kind of liked the attention she was getting.

When they had almost reached the stairs, Amumu squeezed his sister's hand again and whispered, "Just like we practiced, remember?" She nodded.

The children paused at the base of the stairs. They knelt before their parents and touched their noses to the ground with their arms stretched out. Amumu quietly counted off the seconds until they could sit up for her. He knew that Masika couldn't count yet.

"Okay" he mumbled, and the two sat back on their knees and toes. Their mother smiled at them. Pride beamed in her glowing face. She turned to her husband. The pharaoh smiled back at her and then turned to his children. He lifted his hand, indicating them to stand.

They got up and started up the stairs. The whole room was silent save for the soft sound of movement as they all stood. It made the children uneasy. They reached the top, dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.

"Very good, children. Don't you think so, pharaoh?" the queen asked her husband.

He smiled. "Yes, Safiya. Children, you've done wonderfully." They stood and Masika ran to her mother's open arms. She pulled her daughter onto her lap and held her close. Amumu took a seat on the open floor to the right of his father's throne. His father looked at him. "Prince Amumu, would you like a chair?"

"No, pharaoh." He replied bowing his head. "I shall be fine here, pharaoh." He looked up. Their matching eyes connected. The pharaoh nodded.

He stood up and raised his golden staff, a sign that he wanted to speak. The small murmurs that had occurred during the children's settling immediately died.

"My loyal subjects," he boomed. Amumu had always loved to hear his father speak to the people. He continued, "I call you here to make an announcement." Amumu looked up at his father. The children had never been told what they were being summoned for, but that wasn't unusual. But Amumu had guessed that it was going to be another tribute to the gods like the last time he was here.

"I would like to present my daughter, Masika."

Masika's head snapped forward. She looked out over the crowd and stopped breathing. Her eyes went wide.

"Go on dear," her mother cooed, "go stand with pharaoh."

She jumped down off her mother and slowly shuffled to her father. He held out a hand to her and she took it immediately. He helped her along to stand next to him.

In a wave of movement, the crowd began to kneel. Masika didn't like the attention anymore. She wanted to run away and hide. Amumu noticed. He began quietly humming an old lullaby that their mother used to sing to them.

She cheated a look at her brother. He was swaying a little with the tune. He nodded at her. She nodded back and turned back toward the crowd. She took a deep breath and smiled at the people, humming the tune under her breath.

"Thank you pharaoh," she said bowing her head, "May I go now, pharaoh?" he nodded. Her mother opened her arms again, but this time her daughter ran to Amumu. She threw her arms around his neck, knocking him off balance a bit. Once he figured out what had happened, he smiled and hugged her to him.

"Thank you, big brother." She whispered.

Pharaoh addressed the people once more with a few orders and returned to his throne. He allowed the people to go.

The queen leaned toward her husband, "I don't understand it, Zuberi. Why would she run to her brother for comfort? He is not a cheerful boy."

The pharaoh smiled at his son. He knew what had happened. He was proud. "You know, Safiya, I'm sure the gods have a reason for it." She smiled back and nodded.

* * *

><p>Intermission! Hey Guys! I'm actually really starting to get into this story. I really wanted to try and keep it one chapter, but I feel like there's so much more I could write. So lets see how this turns out.<p>

We now return to the story…

* * *

><p>A few days later, Amumu was back out on his throne. He turned the ring on his finger as he stared out into the desert. He sighed.<p>

Masika ran outside. She had a huge grin on her face.

"Amumu!" she was bouncing up and down with excitement in front of her brother.

"Yes, little sister?" Amumu sighed without looking at her.

She stopped bouncing but was still grinning. "Come on, brother!" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him up. "Come on hurry!"

She finally got him standing and then pulled on him more to get him moving. He was not a very strong child, but he was still stronger than Masika. He pulled back and she slipped and fell.

"Where are we going?" he asked. He didn't want to leave his spot. The sun was out and bright.

She stood up. "I found something. I want you to go with me. Please, brother?"

Amumu looked at her with a curious eye. "Where?"

"Behind the pillar in the water room. Come on!" She pulled on him again.

He sighed. There was no point in arguing. "Okay."

She held onto his hand as they dashed through the palace. He tried to slow down a few times, but it only worked for a few moments before she pulled him back into a run.

When they made it to the water room, she finally let go. Amumu dropped to the floor where he sat trying to catch his breath. Masika, however, kept moving.

Amumu looked around. The room looked just like it always did. The children called it the water room because water from the Nile flowed in here through an opening in the wall. It made half of the room a clear, calm pool that came to an end at a set of white stairs. Every day, someone from the palace would come in, walk down the stairs, and fill a jar with water for the kitchen. Sometimes, they liked to play on the stairs and put their feet in the water, but they weren't supposed to be in here without a guard.

Amumu turned his attention to his sister. Masika grunted as she pushed against a pillar close to the water's edge. Her sandals made her feet slip on the floor. As she pushed, she walked without going anywhere.

Amumu got up. "Just wait for me." He slipped off his sandals and walked over to her. He told her to do the same.

"It's back here, brother. Help me." She started pushing again. Amumu joined her.

"What makes you think that this will move, sister?" he asked her. He didn't stop pushing though.

"I saw it, brother! There's a passage behind here." She smiled at him. She wasn't one to lie so he believed her.

The two pushed harder and they still couldn't move it. Amumu stopped. He sighed and looked around.

Masika stopped and looked at him. "What is it?"

"We can't move this. Maybe there's another way in."

Before too long, the children were crawling on the floor and walking their hands along the walls. They weren't really sure what they were looking for exactly, but they kept looking anyway.

Eventually, Amumu hit a loose place at the bottom the wall next to the pillar. He pushed a little more and it gave some.

"Masika! I think I found something." She ran over to look. He pushed again and her eyes went wide when it moved. She began pushing too.

With a great final shove, the two sent the block sliding out of site into the wall. They rested their chins on the floor to look through the hole.

Darkness.

Masika grinned. "I told you, brother! I told you! Lets go in." She began to crawl forward.

"NO!" Amumu yelled. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back out. She coughed a little from the dust she had just kicked up.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, slightly annoyed.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in." he said, "The pharaoh may not like it if we did. Besides, we're not even supposed to be in here." He gave his sister a stern look.

"But we've come this far." She pouted. "I want to see."

Amumu turned the ring on his hand. What should he do?

"Well…" he finally said, "We should at least get a torch."

She squealed with joy and hugged her brother. He smiled a little. Only a little.

They agreed to cover the hole and come back in a few days when all the torches would be new. Then they would climb through for a look. They put a few jars in front of the hole and tried to make it look like they weren't there. They picked up their sandals and headed back into the halls.

They walked back toward their rooms. Masika was talking but Amumu wasn't listening. He had a lot to think about.

"Promise you won't go in." Amumu said after they were far away from the room. His sister smiled an '_I__ would__ never!_' smile, but Amumu stared her down.

She sighed. "Okay" Amumu laughed a little at how much she was beginning to sound like him. He could tell she meant it though.

So she wandered away to her room, still pouting. Amumu started back toward his favorite spot.

* * *

><p>Author's note Ok so this is getting long. I know where I want to go with it, but I'm just having too much fun writing this! I can't wait to see what I'll do next! (Seriously, I do this in bursts and every idea comes from somewhere new so even I don't know what's coming.) So stay tuned and keep reading! Please review!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Amumu woke to his sister shaking him. Today was the day. Today the oil in the torches would be changed after the sun was highest. It wasn't even near time to be awake for morning meal.

Masika was smiling. She had been reminding him about this every morning after first meal.

Amumu rolled over in his bed. "You know they're not going to be filled until later. Why did you wake me?" he complained. He never did like to be woken up. He would sometimes miss his first meal because he wanted more sleep. The sun, however, usually shined brilliantly through his window. Most of the time he thought of this as a gift, so that he could always be near the light, but, in the morning, he hated it. If he fell asleep facing the window, he would always be awoken to the bright glare pouring in through the window.

Masika kept smiling. "I know. But it's still so exciting!"

Amumu rolled back over to where his back was to the window and his little sister. "Are you sure you still want to go, sister? We could do something else for fun."

"Brother! You promised!" She whined. Amumu turned his head toward her.

"It was just a thought." He said with a wink. She smiled and left. He turned back over and fell back asleep.

A little later, Amumu woke up again and dressed himself. He headed out of his room toward the dining hall, still half asleep. As he approached, he could hear his mother and sister talking.

"Now, now, child. You have made quite a mess of yourself." Safiya laughed as she wiped Masika's face. "What will we ever do with you?"

Masika used her arms to clear away the food around her mouth. Her mother frowned.

"You know that you should use a cloth, daughter. That's why we have them."

"Yes," she replied, "but now I can use it another time!" She turned away from her mother's fussing hands and saw Amumu.

"Big brother!" she called. He looked up. His bright green eyes flashed in the natural light streaming through the window.

"Come, son," his mother called from her chair, "join us."

Amumu wandered over to the table and looked at the food.

Set up on the table was an array of choices. Fruits, fish, and bread were laid out on gold and ivory platters. There were jars of honey beside pitchers of milk. It smelled divine.

The little price helped himself to a piece of bread, a plate of fruit, and a cold goblet of sweet milk. While he ate, his mother continued to talk.

"The pharaoh will not be joining us today. He is very busy with his work today." Amumu nodded, unable to answer with his mouth full of food. He began to spread a generous helping of honey onto his bread.

"Busy with what, mommy?" Masika asked. She took another cup of milk.

The queen smiled. "Don't worry about it. You shall see him before you sleep tonight."

She tilted her head in wonder. Amumu silently continued to eat.

"When?" The queen turned away from her breakfast again.

"Masika," she said, "I promise. Pharaoh will be back before you sleep. Alright?"

She sighed. "Okay."

"And stop sighing like that." She frowned. "You're getting to be just like your brother."

"But I want to be like my brother!" she insisted, "I want to be just like him."

"Well, stop sighing anyway. You can be like him, but not the sad and sighing him."

"Amumu is the best brother ever. I want to be _just_like him."

Amumu, ignoring all this, washed his bread and honey down with a large gulp of milk. He dabbed the crumbs from his mouth and reached for the grapes. He used his thumb to feel his ring. The small bumps of the design gave him a sense of comfort.

While his mother and sister argued about him, his mind drifted away, as it often did, to places unknown. Fields of sand, ponds of water, he could almost feel it. He also thought of great buildings and places where he could run. He wondered what it would smell like. What it would be like.

Once he was full, he turned to the queen. "May I go now?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Of course." Masika made a movement as if intending to follow him, but one look at her brother and she knew that he wanted to be left alone.

He jumped from his seat and began to walk toward his favorite spot. He wanted to think.

Why did he agree to go into the darkness? He hated the dark. It was probably dusty through the wall. He had never seen it before Masika found it, so it probably was never cleaned.

He nodded a passing hello to a guard, who stopped to bow his head before going on his way.

And if the room was never cleaned, did anyone know about it? If something happened to them, would they ever be found? What if they weren't? No. He shouldn't think like that. But it was still a possibility, wasn't it?

Another guard.

But what if they were fine? What would happen? Would they tell their parents that there was a hidden room in the water room? Would they keep it to themselves? They couldn't. If they were found out, there would be consequences. If everything went alright, they could ask their parents about the hole that they found in the wall. Well if-

Another guard.

If there was something hidden away, something they were not supposed to find? Maybe it was a secret. What then?

He reached his seat and settled in. The sun was just coming up over the far dunes. Its shine almost blinded Amumu as he stare at the glistening desert. People were walking across the sand in shabby robes and wooden shoes.

He turned his ring. What was he going to do?

Maybe he was thinking too much. He tried to stop thinking, but this only made him think more. He thought of possibilities, problems, and the future. Why did it feel as though this room was so-

"Brother!" A voice from behind him called. He didn't turn around.

She came right up beside his chair. Her teeth shone like pearls in her mouth as she grinned. "Today's they day, isn't it? You promised. Right? We get to see it today."

He took a deep breath and tried to look happy. He nodded. She hugged him.

"When?"

Amumu thought for a moment. "Wait until the guards change. We'll go then."

She hurried off toward her room. He rested his chin on his hand. He turned his ring with his thumb.

* * *

><p>Intermission!<p>

Whew! I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I can't believe how well it's turning out (well, in my head anyway. That might change though). I'm trying really hard to be as close to historically accurate about the Egyptians as I can, but I can only do so much. And with that, I leave you to the story.

We now return to the story…

* * *

><p>"Why do you always carry your shoes? Don't you're feet hurt?"<p>

Amumu stared straight ahead. "No, sister. I like it better this way."

They walked up and down the halls like this, looking for a torch that wouldn't be missed until they brought it back. Masika was so excited that she couldn't stop talking, and that was alright with Amumu. He liked to listen to her chatter.

She went on. "But I love my shoes. Mommy even put a picture of a little bird where my big toe goes. She said it meant something, but I can't remember what. I just think it's pretty! I wish it were blue though. It's brown and yellow. Do you want to see?"

"No, thank you."

She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "So what do you think is back there? I'll bet it's a treasure. Or some scrolls. Maybe they'll have pictures. Do you think the walls will have pictures? What would we do with a treasure? What…"

Amumu's mind began to wonder. They turned a corner and started down the next hall. As his sister went on, Amumu suddenly felt a split second of calm. But, sadly, that moment was there and gone before he could grab it.

He caught sight of a few torches lining the wall. This hall ended up ahead. They walked to the end where two torches lit a blank wall.

No tapestry was hung. No paintings. Nothing. Just a dead end.

"There." Amumu pointed up at the left one.

Masika stopped talking.

Amumu made a grab for it. He could almost reach it. He jumped up a little and brushed the bottom of the holder. He tried again with the same result.

"I'm going to need help" he said turning to his sister.

The two scrambled to find a way to be taller. After several failed ideas, Amumu thought of a better one.

"Alright," he said, eyeing their target, "here."

He bent down to his knee and locked his fingers. He felt his ring rub against his knuckle. He stopped. He remembered his mother's words: _"__Keep __it__ safe,__ my __son__"_

He carefully took it off and put it on his sandal. There was a line, pale as crystal clear water, laced around his finger. He looked down at it. No. He stared at it. It was as if he had never seen it before. His finger looked so odd.

Again, he locked his fingers. The pale ring line felt soft and vulnerable.

"Climb up."

Masika faced the wall, put her hands against it, and placed her right foot back into her brother's waiting hands. As he lifted her, she walked her hands up the wall to keep her balance. Her left leg was stiffly dangling beside his hands.

Amumu heard some struggling noises. "I can't reach." She said down to him.

"Hang on." He slowly and carefully began to shift his weight. He straightened his knee that wasn't on the floor and tried to stand. He grunted as he moved, being careful not to drop Masika. As he pushed down with his free leg, he dragged his bent one up until he could get his foot on the ground.

Finally, he was standing straight up. She could almost reach.

"Al…most… got it." she struggled.

With a final bump up from below, she grabbed the torch and pulled it up and out of the holder.

"Got it!"

Amumu almost fell over putting her down. His arms hurt and his legs were weak from the unusual work. The two stumbled and sat down on the floor, each trying to catch their breath.

Masika held the torch out in front of her, allowing the fire's light to dance across their sweaty faces as they stared at the flame.

It was time to go in.

* * *

><p>Author's note<p>

Alright! I was planning on keeping this whole part in this chapter but it ran too long (again). I need a break. Chapter three will be up ASAP. This is getting good, huh? I hope so anyway. Please review!

Kanagawa


	3. Chapter 3

The children looked into the hole in he wall. It's darkness flooded out and slithered across the floor toward their bare feet. Dust was still smeared along where Masika had been pulled. The water behind them seemed to stand still with anticipation. The very room seemed to hold its breath for the smiling girl and the wide-eyed boy.

Amumu took the torch from Masika, being careful not to let the flame falter.

"Alright," he said turning to her, "as soon as we go in here, I'm in charge. Okay?"

Masika nodded. The children slipped off their sandals. Amumu took a deep breath and kneeled down on the floor. Holding the torch before him, he used his other three limbs to push him forward. He could feel the cold of the hidden place fall on him. He shivered. He could actually feel the shadows pour over him as he crawled forward and away from the light. When he felt the last of the sunlight touch his dragging feet, he stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

Holding out the fire, he took a quick survey of the place. The walls were full of colorful hieroglyphics. The floor was a light orange color all around except for the red strip where Amumu had taken the dust off. There were vases, tapestries, and golden statues, big and small, of creatures he had never seen before. The room seemed to stretch on forever.

"Brother?" Masika called. She sounded nervous. It wasn't until he heard her that he realized what the scene must have looked like to her. He disappeared from sight and then she didn't hear anything.

"It's alright, sister," he called out to her. "It's safe."

A moment later, he could hear the sound of her shuffling through the hole. She stood up and coughed up some more dust. Amumu held the torch up to show her the room. She stood in silent awe.

She snatched the torch and ran over to the wall. She loved to look at wall paintings and these were exceptionally beautiful. The bright colors became even more brilliant as she wiped the dust away with her free hand.

Amumu was more interested in the statues though.

These creatures. Something about them called out to him. He picked up one of the smaller ones. It was heavier than he thought it would be. This wasn't an ordinary idol. This was solid gold, not hollow. The base was about the size of his hand and it stood a little over half a foot tall. This creature looked fierce. It's spiked back and thin arms were attached to a coarse body that reminded him of a snake's. It had its mouth wide open in an intimidating growl and its eyes shone green as the light played across the emerald chips in its head.

Masika moved along the wall, moving the light with her. It danced across one of the larger statues. Amumu was astounded by it.

He set the smaller one down on the ground. Now he stared upon a statue at least ten feet tall. The light wasn't close enough for him to see the whole thing.

"Sister! Let me have the fire!" he said impatiently. She turned away from the wall and saw the statue. She nearly dropped the torch. Amumu snatched it. He held it up to the statue's darkened face.

The light revealed the shadowy face of a woman. But this was like no woman they had ever seen before. She wore an odd hood over her long hair and strange clothes. They hung down her body looking bulky and heavy. She had a sash across her chest that held a cylinder full of sticks on her back. The sticks were thin with pointed triangles on the ends. She held one of them in a device that Amumu had never seen before. She had her right arm pulled back holding a golden thread that connected to the glistening staff she held in her outstretched left hand. There were blue and green jewels lining the staff's top and bottom. Her eyes were lined up with the stick, aimed over the children's heads.

"What is it brother?" Masika asked, not taking her eyes off the figure.

Amumu, jaw dropped, merely shook his head. He had no idea what she was, but she fascinated him.

"The… the fresh…" Masika finally said.

"What?" Amumu still stared at the statues concentrated stare.

"That what it says here. On the foot."

He turned his gaze down to the shoes that she wore. Big shoes that covered her feet entirely and went up to her shins. Not any sandals that Amumu had ever seen. On the place where her toes should be there was a small plaque. The hieroglyphics were dusty.

Amumu used his hand to wipe away the pile of dust and held the torch closer.

"Sister," he explained, "that's an o. And that's a-" He realized that he was teaching, not reading and took another look.

_The Frost Archer_

Amumu repeated the words aloud.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's her name. But I never heard of a queen Archer."

"Me either."

They turned their attention back to the statue. To Amumu, it seemed like she was looking at something. He followed her gaze behind them and dropped the torch.

Masika picked it back up to see what had frightened her brother. She held the light up and saw it. Across the room, there was a statue just as big as the first, except this one was no woman.

It was a creature like no other. It had sharp claws and big teeth that were bared in his open mouth. His eyes glowed as the fire hit the red jewels in them. Its mighty arms were thrust out and its chest looked like it was puffed out with muscle. It looked ready to scream out into the sky. It looked like the great god Anubis if he were wild. The gold statue was very detailed and showed that the creature was covered with hair from head to toe. It seemed to snarl back at the other statue.

It's plaque read _Blood__ Hunter._

Amumu stumbled back from the statues toward the other wall. There, the scene was complete. The woman and the beast were locked in an eternal stalemate. Each seemed ready to attack.

For a while, Amumu just stood and stared at the battle, fascinated by them. He suddenly wanted to know them. He didn't know why, but the idols seemed to call to him, as if they had been waiting here for him.

Masika went to the beast. She touched it, feeling the sharp curves of the fur under her sun kissed hand. She slid her hand down the front of it, feeling every point of the golden statue's hair. One of the points cut her hand.

"AHH!" she gasped. It echoed through the room. This broke Amumu's trance. He ran to her side. It was only a scratch, no blood.

"Don't touch anything else," he said. She nodded, nursing her hand a little. He turned toward the darkness ahead. He started walking.

They walked past the Frost Archer and down the long hallway. Masika stayed close as her brother lead on, walking faster and faster. Something _was_ calling him. He could feel it.

As they walked, he noticed that the walls were lined with golden statues similar to the first one he had found. He noticed a few of the plaques in front of their stands.

_Undead Champion_

…

_Curator of the Sands_

…

…

_Death Singer_

…

_Starchild_

Amumu was at a full run now. Masika was having trouble keeping up.

_Harbinger of Doom_

…

_Swift Scout_

That was the last one he saw before he crashed into the wall. He fell back and shook his head. Masika caught up to him and helped him up. The torch faltered as it rolled toward the wall. Masika ran after it. It dropped into a canal just before the wall.

"NO!" she yelled. Amumu stared after her, unable to move. He was scared. In the matter of a second, he saw them getting trapped in the dark forever. He saw them trying to find their way out and dying in that room. He saw their parents looking for them and never being able to find them. But, after that second, those thoughts vanished.

Masika fell backwards and covered her face. Fire flared from the canal and shot through it and around the room. Its flames licked the sides of the floor and ran all the way to where they came in. Every wall was divinely painted and carved with radiant colors and patterns. He could now see the two battling statues from where he stood. It circled the two, lighting their bases with brilliant red light.

He turned back to the wall he had run into. It was now fully lit, allowing the children to see the full picture.

On the left, there was a big blue gem. It was the color of the clear blue sky. Around it were three identical smaller gems the same color as the first. Each of these were at the end of a pathway. The pathway was lined with blue jewel chips, lighting the path with a blue glow. Halfway up the paths, the gems changed from blue to purple. It curved toward the other side, creating a mirror of the beginning of the path. The right side matched the lefts design using purple gems in place of the blue. They shone the color of the queen's finest jewels. In between the paths, it was painted dark green. Scattered through the green, there were small chips the color of the setting sun. The fire gave them a special glow.

Amumu began slowly toward it. He appeared to do so without any expression or intention. He raised his hand toward the wall.

"Brother?" Masika called out. Amumu didn't stop.

"Brother, you'll hit the fire!" No response.

"STOP!"

The life came back into his face. He put his hand down and pulled away from the fire. He shook his head and tried to clear his head.

Masika looked worried. "Maybe we should go, big brother. We could come back another time."

He wanted to know more and he still felt the room calling to him, but he was beginning to scare himself a little. He thought for a while.

He finally nodded and they started back trough the now lit room. It was a long walk, and Amumu forced himself not to look at any more statues. The two slowed a little as they passed the battling statues. They found the block that had hidden this room for so long and began pushing it back toward the wall.

"We'll push it all the way through," Amumu explained, "and then we'll crawl out and push it back in." She nodded.

"What are we going to tell mommy and the pharaoh?"

Amumu had thought about this. "Nothing" he said defiantly. "This will be our secret. Our special place." He smiled. She smiled back.

"That's a good idea, big brother! It could be our hideout."

They finally reached the hole. This is where it was going to be scary. What if the block wouldn't push through all the way? Would they be trapped in here? Would they be able to pull it back in?

"Push hard." Amumu said. The two grunted as they gave the block a huge shove. It went through no problem. "You first."

Masika bent down and crawled through the hole. Amumu turned around and took one last look at the room. He would come back. He knew he would. He followed her out.

They put the block back into place. They moved the jars that they had blocked the hole with back to where they had gotten them. Everything looked normal again.

They began to leave.

"Oh!" Masika exclaimed, "I forgot my sandals. Wait for me." She ran back to where she had left her shoes on the ledge of the water.

Just as she was trying to stop, she slipped.

She fell into the water and sunk down to the bottom of the deep pool of fresh water. She screamed as she began to flail in the water, desperate for air.

"AMUMU!" She gargled half under the water.

In no time at all, he dove in. He was blind under the water and he was loosing air. He felt around for his baby sister.

He found her leg. He let go of his air so that he could sink down to the very bottom. Her motions slowed. She was getting tired.

Eyes still closed, Amumu struggled to find Masika in the water.

She was almost out air.

He found her legs and grabbed onto them. He crouched as best he could on the floor of the pool.

_She__ has__ one__ chance, _he thought.

With a great push, he sprang his legs straight against the floor. He pushed against his sister with all his might.

There was a shower of water as Masika flew out of the water and onto the ledge. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to breathe.

Amumu was trapped under the water. He had used everything he had to save his sister, and now he was left to take her place. He had no air, no strength, and no sight to help him.

He shed a single tear as sank into the water with a smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Intermission!<p>

Excuse me for a second. That was so sad! That has to be one of the most touching/ sad things I have ever written. I really hope you guys like it. I'm starting to tear up a little while I write this. BUT! The story is not over yet!

We now return to the story…

* * *

><p>The pharaoh and his family hung their heads in sorrow. The prince's room was guarded while his body was tenderly cared for.<p>

After the sun had moved halfway across the sky, the priests emerged from the room, carrying the new mummy in a wooden box. Incense was burned as the priests solemnly walked along with the procession. The Pharaoh took his place at the front of the crowd. Behind the coffin, all of the people who had attended Masika's introduction ceremony walked with bowed heads and tears in their eyes. Omari and his father were at the lead.

Masika and the queen walked beside them. Tears poured down her cheeks as she clung to her mother. In her hand, she clutched his ring. She had taken it off of him before the priests had come. She knew that it would be taken off of him to be mummified, so she had slid it off his finger to save it for him.

She decided to keep her word to her brother. Her last promise to him.

"_This will be our secret. Our special place."_

She hadn't told her parents about the room. She would never tell anyone about it. It was all she could do for him now

She had called for help as soon as she could speak, but that was already too late.

The rest had happened fast. There was a guard, a splash, and a struggle to get her brother out of the water. He was placed down on the floor as more guards came into the room. Masika didn't see the rest. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

The body was being taken to the grand pyramid of the greatest kings. He was going to be honored as a pharaoh and a hero.

They opened the door and proceeded into the darkness. The people waited outside as Amumu's family followed the priests in.

The priests put him down on the spot that they had designated for the young prince. They stood him upright and prepared for the next ceremony.

As they performed the opening of the mouth, the pharaoh held his daughter to him. She was now his only child, his soul heir. He thanked his son for his sacrifice asked him to watch over her in death as he had in life.

"You can say your goodbyes now, my king." The priest bowed his head down as he invited the pharaoh to say his goodbyes to his son.

He let Safiya go to him first, still holding Masika in his arms. She walked to her son.

"Amumu… my son…" she began to cry again, "please be safe now." She bent down in a low bow. Her tears fell to the floor. She straightened up and kissed her son's cloth covered forehead. She backed up.

The pharaoh passed his sobbing child to his wife. She embraced her, pulling her close.

One of the priests offered him the burial mask. He walked to the standing sarcophagus. He, the pharaoh himself, bent to his knee and placed a golden mask on the mummy before him. He bowed his head to his son.

He took a deep breath and stood up. He nodded to the priest. They began to close the sarcophagus.

"Wait!" Masika called through her tears. They stopped and stepped back from the prince. She pulled away from her mother and went to Amumu.

She stared into the painted eyes of the mask. "Brother? If you can hear me," her face was soaked through with tears, "thank you. Thank you so much, big brother."

She slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a tighter fit than normally, but she made sure it was right where it should be.

Shortly after that, Amumu was covered and the ceremonies were carried out until the end. The family left the tomb. The tomb was closed off. People said their last farewells to Amumu and wished him luck in the afterlife.

Amumu was left alone.

Over the years, Masika grew to be a wonderful leader. She was said to be one of the greatest rulers in all of Egypt. Her mother had another baby a few years later when Masika was just a little older than Amumu was.

She never forgot her brother or his love for the sunlight. She always demanded that she be able to see through all windows and she had Amumu's name carved into his chair on his favorite spot. Some nights, she could be heard sobbing to herself, or seen wiping a tear away as she walked through the halls. As an adult, she married Omari and they had a beautiful daughter. Masika named her Archer. Archer grew fond of sitting out in Amumu's chair at night and she could often be found there, fast asleep.

Masika never returned to the room behind the wall.

Meanwhile, as time passed, a faint glow began to appear in the dark pyramid.

Author's note:

Before any of you get upset with me, yes, I am aware I used another cliffhanger. I will be adding one last chapter. I really hope you enjoyed this. I actually cried writing this. I really hope you guys like it and that you will keep an eye out for the final chapter. Please review!

Kanagawa


	4. Chapter 4

Many years passed. Masika was long gone, as were her children, and their children, and so on. All the while, leaving Amumu in peace.

They thought.

Meanwhile, a glow of light was growing brighter all the time. It pulsed like fire in the dark tomb. It reflected off of the surrounding golden objects left in the tomb for comfort in the afterlife.

And this was no ordinary light. It was a light like nothing else. Not fire, not sunlight. It was as if the light had been spun from the purest of gold by the gods themselves.

It was coming from the sarcophagus, spilling out of the seam between the lid and cask. It started as a thin line on the wall, but, in time, it grew to illuminate the whole tomb. The mummy glowed the color of the setting sun.

The source of this holy light? A very special gift, given to the mummified child by loved ones. A gift that promised to protect him forever.

A small golden ring. It rested on the middle finger of his right hand. The ring, filled with the love of a doting mother, the tears of a grieving sister, and the blessings of a grateful child, shined bright through the darkness.

As the light grew, the ring began to sink into the bandages. Ghostly floating through the cloth toward the hidden hand. Little by little, the ring returned to the finger.

The day that the ring touched the mummified finger, the light was drawn into the mummy. The body began to levitate a little inside the sarcophagus. The mask that had covered his face vanished. The pyramid shook and the wall cracked a little, letting in a small beam of real sunlight from high in the room. It illuminated the plaque at the foot of the sarcophagus.

The light flowed into the mummy's face. As it did so, the remains of the mummy's eyes began to clear. Their mysterious green color ran through the bandages as the light pooled beneath his eyelids. The green soaked into every inch of the mummy's wrappings, making them as stunning as the eyes it had come from. The mummy's mouth became defined again.

A flash of light, and all was still. The mummy was gently placed back on the spot it had lain in for years. There was no evidence anything had occurred, save for the small crack in the pyramid wall.

The mummy opened his eyes.

He gasped in a breath of air and looked around franticly. Dust filled his mouth and he coughed it back out, along with the coin that had rested between his teeth.

He blinked. He began to feel an emptiness that he couldn't quite place. Darkness engulfed him inside the casket. He didn't like it.

He began to move his arms. He groaned and put them back down. He found that it was a difficult thing to do and he didn't understand why. All he knew was that he wanted to get out of the darkness.

In truth, he hadn't moved since he had died, but he couldn't remember that. He couldn't remember anything about who or where he was. He didn't even remember that he was dead.

He began moving his arms again. He struggled against the constriction he felt binding his shoulders. He felt that there was something over him. He placed his hands against the lid. It felt cold under his fingers. He grunted as he pushed the stone lid away from the sarcophagus. It hit the floor and broke into two pieces. He let his arms drop again.

The mummy lay in the coffin, looking out into the tomb. Now he could see a little more. His eyes darted around. There was a little light in here, so it wasn't as horrible as before. Here, he finally realized what that emptiness was.

He could feel no heart beat.

He couldn't remember where he was. He didn't know this place. He didn't know anything. He tried to think, but it was hard to concentrate in here. It was too dark, too confined.

He began to get up. He grunted and twisted as he desperately tried to force his body to move. It was somewhat painful, but he knew he had to move. He had to.

He stopped for a minute to think. After a moment he started again. This time, however, he did it slowly. He started by moving his fingers, one at a time. After the first finger began to move without pain, he moved to the next, and so on.

Next, he began to flex his hands, making them into fists and then releasing them again. He moved to his wrists from there, followed by his elbows, then shoulders. As he came to his neck, he let his head roll to the right and then tried to roll it back. Then to the left.

His neck hurt a lot. The joints creaked as they loosened up, echoing throughout the pyramid. Or perhaps it was just echoing through the mummy's ears. It was hard to determine.

Next he tried his foot. He couldn't feel his toes, so he tried his ankles. He rolled them as best he could. Next, he began to bend his knees, little by little. He reached out his hands to grab his legs. He struggled against the crying muscles in his abdomen.

He stayed there for a while, holding his hands behind his bandaged thighs to bend his stomach. This was his first time sitting up since his awakening. It made his head hurt a little.

Finally, he felt like he could get up. He pushed himself up, testing his strength. It felt good. He jumped out of the casket and landed, going to his knees. He pushed himself up. His legs wobbled under his weight.

He looked around at his treasures and gold. He couldn't remember any of it. He couldn't even remember his own name.

That's when something shiny caught his eye.

He turned back toward his coffin. The sunbeam was reflecting directly off of a small plate. It had something written on it. He recognized that these were words, but he couldn't understand it much.

He stared at it for a long time. Part of this was familiar, more so than anything else. Something…

He shook his head. He would figure it out later. Right now he wanted to learn more about this place. He was getting his footing, and he hadn't moved in ages. He walked over to some gold coins that were scattered on the floor. He ran his hands through them. They were… valuable.

Behind them, there were jars. They had patterns on them… no… pictures. Pictures of creatures. Some stood on four legs. Some looked… like he used to… yes, he was one of those creatures.

He walked around the pyramid. He couldn't see too well in the dark, but there was enough light to guide him along the treasures lining the walls. There were statues, pots, coins, cloths, paintings, and many other things that the little mummy didn't remember. He knew that they were important, but couldn't remember why.

After a short while, he found himself back in front of the shining plate. He stared at it for an hour. Two. Three.

He focused on the familiar piece. He began to understand it. That symbol sounded…

"A…A...A…"

His voice had not been heard for many years. The sound of it brought back some memory… Symbols like this… these…

"…_your name…" _He recalled a voice saying. A… A woman's voice. No… His mothers! His mother's voice! He concentrated on the memory of her voice.

"…_is your name…" _He almost had it. He stared at the plaque. He listened to the voice.

"… _safe, my son…always protect you." _That was a different memory. A good one, but he couldn't remember the rest. And he never would.

He tried the other one again.

"…_is your name…is your name…mu is your name…" _He focused on the plaque.

"A… mu… Amumu…" He finally said. _Yes, _he thought, _yes, that's it. That's it!_

"Amumu… that's my name."

* * *

><p>Intermission!<p>

Hey guys! Wow… that was longer than I thought it would be. I can't believe it's almost over. Also, in case you were wondering, I put these little breaks in for two reasons: 1. I like this story and I kinda want to talk about it a little and 2. I'm not sure how to make the next transition other than…

We now return to the story…

* * *

><p>Amumu looked at the crack in the wall. The thin line of light squeezed into the tomb. Amumu felt a deep longing to be out there. He wanted to leave this cold, dark place forever. He knew there was something beyond the wall.<p>

He wanted, no, needed to be out there.

He pushed aside the ancient sculptures pots, breaking many of them. After all, what were they to him? He thought that it was possible that they meant something at one time, but he had no memory and, therefore, no attachment to them.

He continued to smash things in his way until he could get to the already cracked wall. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he had to break it down. He started to push against it. No luck.

He stopped pushing and backed up. He studied the wall for a moment. Something about this felt familiar, but he didn't know why.

He wished he could just slip between the cracks. He wished he could pull them apart somehow. He wanted more than anything to get out of this place. He-

He gasped.

His right hand had begun to glow. He could feel something pulsing through it. He didn't know what it was or what it meant. He felt like… like this was a gift. He heard the voice again.

"… _safe, my son…always protect you."_

Was she… was she keeping him safe? Even now?

He looked down at his hand. It was still glowing. He felt like he was supposed to do something. Something he had always been destined to do. But he couldn't figure it out.

This felt powerful, he knew that much. But what was it for?

He pounded his hands on his forehead, trying to think. He was so frustrated. Why couldn't he remember? WHY?

Suddenly, a burst of energy overcame him. Amumu stomped his feet on the ground hard, sending the power he was feeling into the floor.

Amumu hadn't been ready for that. The power threw him off a little and caused him to stumble back a few steps. He stepped on one of the loose bandages around his ankles and fell back.

He stared back at the floor. There was a visible indent in the ground. He wasn't sure how he had done it. He looked at his hand again. The glow was a little dimmer, but was soon just as bright as before.

He looked from his hand to the wall and back. He had and idea…

He approached the wall and put his hand against it. He concentrated on being out of this place. He wished for it. He willed it to happen.

Nothing.

He tried to go back to feeling like he had before. He tried to remember what he was thinking when it happened.

Wait. He wasn't thinking at all. He had let his emotions take control. So he tried to get angry again. He put his hand on the wall and thought it through.

That voice… He remembered that voice. Who was that? It was defiantly his mother, he knew that, but who _was _she? Was she important? Did she love him?

Did he have a father too? He… he thought he did. Why? Why couldn't he remember his own family? He couldn't even remember if he _had _a father. He barely remembered who he was. The whole thing was just making him so angry with himself and he was still in this godforsaken place and…

He punched a hole through the wall. The light poured in, pushing the darkness back into the farthest corners of the room. The sun warmed his bandages. It felt amazing. For a brief moment, he felt… he felt…

"Free."

He took his first few steps out onto the sand. The scorching hot sand had no effect on his bandaged feet. He felt as though he had been waiting for this moment forever. His moment out in the desert.

But he was still alone.

He wasn't angry anymore. The sun had calmed his anger and had made him happy for a few minutes. But then…

The little mummy with no heartbeat, no memory, no family, and no friends dropped to his knees and wept into his bandages.

He cried through the day and night. Just cried. He just couldn't stop. By sunrise, his hands were cold and wet from his tears. He wiped his nose and looked up into the light.

His eyes widened, still dripping with tears. Something was calling him. He could feel it. Something was telling him to go into the desert. This feeling… he… he had felt it before. It was strong and it was calling to his very soul.

He knew he had to follow it.

He stood up, determined to wander the world to discover his past.

As he cried, he hugged himself and began to walk forward.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

Well, there you have it. That is how Amumu, the sad mummy, returned to the land of the living. I thought about doing a short chapter about his experiences in the desert, but I think this is the best place to end it. You all know the rest. If you want, I'll write another story about that, just let me know. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!

Kanagawa


End file.
